Clowns of America International describes their members as “Ambassadors of Joy,” but they aren’t spreading any joy today with their criticism of FX’s American Horror Story: Freak Show, arguing that the show unfairly depicts clowns as demented, terrifying killers.

In a statement published by The Hollywood Reporter, COAI president Glenn Kohlberger condemns “any medium that sensationalizes or adds to coulrophobia or ‘clown fear.'”

“Hollywood makes money sensationalizing the norm,” Kohlberger a.k.a. Clyde E. Scope said. “They can take any situation no matter how good or pure and turn it into a nightmare.”

Of course, it’s not just the media fabricating these fears out of nowhere. Studies have shown that a significant number of people consider clowns frightening, and that “clowns are universally disliked by children. Some found them quite frightening and unknowable.” This is according to University of Sheffield researcher Dr. Penny Curtis.